Don’t throw at Clark Phillips III. Oregon State learned that the hard way immediately on Saturday.

The Utah corner picked off Oregon State’s Chance Nolan twice on Nolan’s first five pass attempts during the first quarter in Rice-Eccles Stadium. The first came on a first-and-10 throw to the boundary where Phillips just wrestled the football away from Oregon State’s Tre’Shaun Harrison.

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Phillips returned the ball inside the Oregon State 30-yard-line and set the Utes up for their first touchdown of the day. On a third-and-4, quarterback Cam Rising connected with Jaylen Dixon on a 19-yard touchdown that saw Dixon make a diving, over-the-shoulder grab.

Oregon State tied the game on its next drive — a seven-play, 79-yard touchdown march — but Nolan only threw it once. A quick three-and-out from Utah put the Beaver offense back on the field at its 30. Nolan fired incomplete to Harrison on first down. Then Phillips got him again on second down.

And Phillips made sure to score the points himself.

Nolan was benched after a miss on fourth down to end the Beavers’ final drive of the first quarter. Ben Gulbranson replaced him to start the second.

Utah had a 21-7 lead after the opening frame on the Pac-12 Network. The interceptions were Phillips’ second and third of the season. He had two last year and one in five games during the 2020 campaign.